Officials said the woman and her husband had recently purchased the home and were doing a survey in the back of the house when the woman plunged into the 12-foot deep, 10-foot round cistern after some floorboards gave way.

Deputy Fire Chief Roger Sakowich said it took about 45 minutes to pull her from the cistern, which was used to collect rainwater.

“We put a ladder down, we put a man down with breathing apparatus on while we checked the air quality and found out it was not of a hazardous nature and we were able to operate,” he said.

The woman was placed on a stretcher and taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Officials have not released information about the condition of the 65-year-old woman, but say she was in and out of consciousness and was taken to the hospital.

Sakowich said he believes that the hole had been covered at some point by an addition to the house, placing the hole inside the property.